


I wanna secret family (Is it secret if Luffy keeps yelling about it?)

by Mullk6



Series: The world unknown to us (except one, stop lording your knowledge over us, it got old after the first year) [8]
Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers, Ace needs a hug, And Then Some, Dimension Travel, Gen, It's Super Effective, Luffy's adorableness, Ouroboros learned Talk no Jutsu, Self-Insert, The Ouroboros raise ASL, Timeline Split, and cute, he gets one, it's gonna be epic, new timeline, sorta - Freeform, wee!ASL, yes that needs to be a tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-06-29 04:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15722175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mullk6/pseuds/Mullk6
Summary: Alexia had no idea where in the timeline they were, so they'd decided to head from Sabaody to Dawn Island. They didn't expect it to take 8 years, though.They also didn't expect parenthood, but they weren't exactly complaining either.Timeline #3,5





	1. Meeting the definition of "sunshine"

Foosha Village. A deceptively serene place, considering whom called it home. Then again, Monkey D. Luffy hadn't set sail yet, in fact, Alexia had no idea what age the kid was. In the eight years they had sailed the seas, they'd heard nothing of Monkey D. Luffy, or his brother, for that matter. This only told her that neither boy was 17 yet, but not much else. Ed sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, the 27-year-old Captain was curious as to what they'd find once they left the ship.

They were masquerading as an Entertainment Company while they secretly trained to become stronger than what was necessarily needed, especially by East Blue standards, but better safe than sorry. Once they finally sailed under their Jolly Roger, they needed to be strong enough to stay on top of anyone coming after them.

As Captain, no matter how civilian she had to act, it was Edwina's responsibility to keep her crew safe. As such, she was the first to step off the ship. This ended up with her legs being assaulted by a small mass of something.

Blinking, the brunette looked down at what had hit her and came face to face with a small black-haired child, who was blinking up at her from his place on the ground, where he'd fallen after the impact.

The boy smiled brightly “Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Who are you? Are you a pirate?”

Her realization did not show on her face, instead, the young woman smiled as she crouched down, picked Luffy up by the undersides of his arms and propped him on her hip once she'd stood up straight once again “I'm Edwina, I'm the Captain of this here ship, Rilla. And we do not currently have a Jolly Roger.” she giggled at the scrunched up nose as the boy tried to figure out what that meant “I meant that we don't have a pirate flag.”

Luffy hummed hands gripping her open button-up shirt, catching some of her hair in his fists by accident and looking abso _lutely_ adorable. Ed smiled gently at the child even as she heard rapid footsteps approaching her.

“Luffy!”

The small boy looked towards the voice and beamed “Makino!”

The green-haired woman looked harried as she approached and Ed felt sorry for her, she must be Luffy's guardian or at the very least babysitter, she didn't quite remember her sister's explanation. Thus, when the woman came close enough, Ed shifted Luffy into a one-handed hold and extended her left hand towards her.

“Edwina, leader of the Bate Entertainment Company, pleasure to make your acquaintance.” she introduced herself, smiling disarmingly as the now slightly perplexed woman shook her hand.

“Makino, I own Partys Bar.”

Ed nodded, as if she hadn't already been aware of this, before indicating the little ball of sunshine in her arms “Yours?”

Makino looked at Luffy before turning her gaze back “Ah, not really, I just take care of him when his grandfather isn't here.”

The brunette smiled indulgently, raising an eyebrow “And how often is that, exactly?”

The barmaid sighed “Too often, to be honest.”

The Ouroboros Captain nodded once again, all too familiar with Luffy's upbringing, since her sister had been very vocal about it.

Speaking of, she soon found herself empty-handed and turned her head to witness said sister cooing at the adorable future Pirate King.

“Hello, little man! My name is Alexia, but you can call me anything that at least sounds like it! How about that?”

Luffy beamed up at her “Ok, 'Leshia!”

Al squealed and hugged the boy closer, calling him all sorts of variations of “cute” in more than one language as she went back up the gang-plank.

Ed stood there, squinty-eyed and hands on her hips, before she sighed and turned back to a flabbergasted Makino “I apologize for my sister and would like to inform you that you probably won't see him again for at least two hours.” she paused, before reluctantly continuing ”Possibly five.”

She could tell the barmaid wasn't sure what to make of her statement. Or the situation in general. That was fine, most of the time they didn't know what the hell they were doing either.

She should probably make sure all their pointy things were out of sight, if they were gonna have a four-year-old running around. At least, Ed was pretty sure Luffy was four. He was pretty tiny, there was no way he was older than four, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Al holding Luffy](http://mullk6.tumblr.com/image/180282916402)


	2. This is me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al plots and Ed enables her.

It turned out that Ed was better at guessing ages than she'd thought. Luffy _was_ , in fact, four years old. Better yet, the kid hadn't managed to get his hands on any pointy things before Ed had locked them away. Or at least put them somewhere no one would ever think to look. Namely, the hat shelf.

Makino had, quite fortunately, warmed up to them quite nicely after watching her crew interact with the little ball of sunshine that would one day be a famous pirate. Most of the people in the village had taken Luffy's attitude as and indicator of their character. Edwina had talked basics over with the Mayor and secured a place for their stage. The man hadn't been all that upset even though she hadn't been able to give him a solid timeline on how long they were going to stay. He probably hoped they'd bring in more money vie tourists if they stayed longer and word got out.

Well... Ed wasn't complaining. If she knew her sister, they were definitely staying for a while.

“[In joy and sorrow, my home's in your arms](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVcfCHmoCvM)  
In a world so hollow  
It's breaking my heart  
In joy and sorrow, my home's in your arms  
In a world so hollow  
It's breaking my heart...”

She looked up from her musings at the sound of Marcus singing and had to hide her smile. Marcus, the tough guy, Mr. Grumpypants himself, was toting around a napping Luffy. It was adorable.

She wished she had a camera. A glance to the side told her she didn't have to worry about that, since Lisa, who'd taken to the rooftops, had just snapped a picture of the two. They were definitely creating a photo album later. Looking around, she couldn't spot her sister, but before she could search for too long, Jonas caught her eye and indicated the forest. Ah, so that's where she was.

Edwina saw what she was doing. With that, she jerked her thumb towards that very same forest, telling Jonas she'd be gone for a while either looking for her sister or helping her with her scheme, whichever came first. The inventor nodded as he went back to work.

It took her a while, but she did finally find her sister. Partly due to the Observation Haki training she'd been put through, but mostly due to her sense of hearing.

Because her sister, for some reason only privy to her, was singing.

“[...I'm falling to pieces but nobody knows,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzw5JH4vsq4)  
I'm falling to pieces but won't let it show.  
I'm hanging from Parasails that are wearing out,  
I'm crashing down as my dreams fade out.  
I've been falling to pieces for what feels like forever.  
Can somebody put me back together?”

As soon as Ed could hear her, she changed her course to where the sound of singing was coming from. And she wasn't the only one. She could feel two other presences also getting closer and closer to her sister's location.

She had a pretty good idea of what the girl was trying to accomplish, but she'd let her take the lead once she found her.

She found her sister on a cliff facing the ocean. It was a smart choice to sing loudly at, since if she actually attracted any animals instead of driving them away, they'd only be coming from one direction. Edwina ignored the two children hiding badly in the bushes as she stepped out of the tree-line. She sensed the two boys become tense and she smiled to herself, wondering if they were worried for themselves, or Alexia.

_Cute._

She walked until she was a few steps from her sister, before stopping and putting a hand on he rhip and cocking it “Isn't this a little extreme for vocal practice?” she asked with laughter in her voice, using her other hand to gesture vaguely as the red scarf spilling over the rim of her hat blew in the wind.

Her sister didn't laugh.

Ed straightened from her playful stance “Alright, what's up? You're in a mood again.”

Al was silent for a moment, before she spoke up “Doesn't it feel like we're standing still? Like no matter how much we plan, sail and train, we're not actually getting anywhere.”

Ed caught on quickly, remembering just who was eavesdropping, knowing her sister knew it too “What _can_ we do? What _can_ we change? We're not strong enough to publicly call them out on all the shit they've pulled. Honestly, it's a wonder we haven't been questioned already.” The Captain snorted “Honestly, sometimes I wonder if anyone had noticed if we just outright named ourselves 'Baterilla' and didn't hack it into two names.”

There was some suspicious rustling and hissing from behind them, but they pretended not to hear it.

Al turned to face her, her hair blowing in her face, causing her to lift her hand to brush it back “They never did find anyone who bore that child, but I doubt the woman who loved that man would have given up so easily. There's a terrifying kind of strength in a mother, after all.” she turned slightly, her face towards the sea even though her body wasn't “I wonder. Is there a child out there the world will hate because of prideful men that can't live with the fact that they never did actually catch the Pirate King. No. The Pirate King came to _them_.” she let out an amused huff “You gotta admit, making a huge spectacle as you die is a good distraction tactic. It probably would have worked if the World Government wasn't full of worthless excuses for human beings.”

Ed hummed, crossing her arms “I wonder... how much did it hurt, knowing he'd never get to hold his child?”

Her sister copied her, but held herself much more tightly “It's a wonder he could even smile.”

She hummed again, letting her hands fall to her sides as she thought about what she was about to do. Turning around, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the words fall out.

“[I am not a stranger to the dark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjxugyZCfuw)  
'Hide away,' they say,  
'Cause we don't want your broken parts'”

Edwina turned to face her sister, who'd turned to look at her as soon as she began to sing, knowing exactly the impact she was about to make.

“I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars.  
'Run away,' they say,  
'No one'll love you as you are'”

The brunette smiled wryly, waiting for Al to join in, as she knew the other wanted to.

“But I won't let them break me down to dust  
I know that there's a place for us  
For we are glorious.”

A short pause, before two voices rang out instead of one.

“When the sharpest words wanna cut me down  
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out  
I am brave, I am bruised  
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me  
Look out 'cause here I come  
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum  
I'm not scared to be seen  
I make no apologies, this is me.”

They could both feel the two presences in the bushes and felt quite accomplished when it seemed like they were going nowhere. It seemed the two were very curious little boys indeed. Al was sure she had hooked Ace, and Sabo? Well, the boy was always hungry for knowledge.

“Another round of bullets hits my skin  
Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in  
We are bursting through the barricades  
And reaching for the sun  
(We are warriors)  
Yeah, that's what we've become  
(Yeah, that's what we've become)”

The song-choice couldn't have been better and 'Lexia wasn't really that surprised, her sister had always been good at reading the mood. It was hard _not_ to relate to this particular song, so it was a pretty safe bet.

“(Oh-oh-oh-oh)  
And I know that I deserve your love  
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)  
There's nothing I'm not worthy of  
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down  
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out  
This is brave, this is bruised  
This is who I'm meant to be, this is me

Look out 'cause here I come  
(Look out 'cause here I come)  
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum  
(Marching on, marching, marching on)  
I'm not scared to be seen  
I make no apologies, this is me

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)  
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down  
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out  
(Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)  
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)  
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out  
(Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh)  
This is me”

Al dissolved into giggles and Ed just clapped her on the shoulder “Don't stay out too late, you know I worry.”

The younger of the two smiled, looking tired but satisfied “Sure thing, nee-chan.”

Ed spun around and waved over her shoulder “You need to take care of yourself, you know we'd be lost without 'cha!”

With one last amused huff, Al turned to face the ocean again, waiting to see if her prey would bite.

It didn't take too long for the bushes behind her to rustle as someone stepped through, causing her to smirk.

_Hook, line, sinker._


	3. Burning questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace's world is tilting on his axis and he's trying to regain his equilibrium.  
> Alternatively:  
> Alexia used Talk no Jutsu. It's super effective.

They'd heard singing from somewhere in the forest. It was faint enough they were pretty sure whoever it was hadn't found their treasure, otherwise they would probably have been more alarmed than curious.

Sabo was curious because he definitely couldn't recognize the song and Ace... well, no matter how much he'd deny it if asked, he was hooked the moment he could hear the lyrics clearly.

“[It feels like they're coming at me, from all sides](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzw5JH4vsq4)  
It feels like I've got nowhere to run, nowhere to hide”

Ace didn't want to admit that he felt something at the words the woman, because it was definitely a woman, was singing.

“It feels like I'm never good enough  
It feels like I'm always just trying”

He didn't want to think someone knew how he was feeling and had written a song that fit just a little too well. I was probably a coincidence. Yeah, that's it.

Still didn't change how the words made him feel.

“Sometimes I feel like I should give up  
And sometimes I feel like I'm dying”

Who was she? Where had she found this song? And why was she singing it in the forest? Ace wanted to know.

The two terrors of Gray Terminal hid in the bushes a small distance away from the cliff where the lady was singing. She was facing the ocean, so there was no way she'd be able to notice they were there if they were quiet. She had long, dark brown hair that was blowing in the wind. Sabo called it mahogany. From what they could see, she was wearing a bright yellow short-sleeved shirt and a dark red skirt that ended at her shins. Probably. It was also blowing in the wind, so it was hard to tell. She also had a sash tied around her waist that was a brighter shade of red and shoes in the same shade.

Ace and Sabo both thought that she was probably pretty.

(Right, let's go with that.)  
“I'm falling to pieces but nobody knows  
I'm falling to pieces but won't let it show...

'Cause I'm falling to pieces but nobody knows  
I'm falling to pieces but won't let it show  
I'm hanging from Parasails that are wearing out  
I'm crashing down as my dreams fade out  
I've been falling to pieces for what feels like forever  
Can somebody put me back together?”

Someone wearing a weird hat, leather boots, a striped t-shirt and blue pants came out of the bushes a little to the side as the lady stopped singing and both boys tensed. Why were they here? Did she know the lady, was she in trouble? They could probably take them on if necessary...

And, it wasn't. Apparently, the woman with the weird hat knew the singing lady.

“Isn't this a little extreme for vocal practice?” the woman laughed, causing Ace to look at Sabo for an explanation.

In a low voice so as to not be heard, the blond whispered out a short explanation “Singers do it to warm their vocal chords so that they don't damage their voice.”

Ace nodded, right, singers made money that way, so they'd have to take care of their voice. Like how he and Sabo needed to heal from injuries so that they could rob people.

While they'd been distracted, it seemed the woman hadn't even answered her companion, which was weird. The woman seemed to also think so, since she changed her stance from the relaxed one she'd been in “Alright, what's up? You're in a mood again.”

Sabo cocked his head. The two had to be really close for the woman to say that. Come to think of it, their hair was the same shade, maybe they were related?

The singing lady was silent for a moment longer, before she finally spoke “Doesn't it feel like we're standing still? Like no matter how much we plan, sail and train, we're not actually getting anywhere.”

Her companion obviously knew what she was talking about and sighed “What _can_ we do? What _can_ we change? We're not strong enough to publicly call them out on all the shit they've pulled. Honestly, it's a wonder we haven't been questioned already. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if anyone had noticed if we just outright named ourselves 'Baterilla' and didn't hack it into two names.”

Ace jerked at the word 'Baterilla', causing the bushes they were hiding in to rustle and Sabo to harshly whisper a demand for him to calm down. Ace wasn't listening though.

Baterilla. He knew that name. Gramps had been reluctant to talk about it, but he knew that name. The name of the island where he'd been born. That island where the Marines had searched for him, forcing his mother to carry him inside her way past the healthy amount. That island, where his mother died giving birth to him.

He knew that name. Why did they?

Thankfully, the women hadn't heard or hadn't thought much of the rustling and had instead continued talking.

“They never did find anyone who bore that child, but I doubt the woman who loved that man would have given up so easily. There's a terrifying kind of strength in a mother, after all.” 

How did they know? How could they be so sure? Why weren't they angry? Everyone hated _that man_ , right? Why did she sound so calm?

“I wonder. Is there a child out there the world will hate because of prideful men that can't live with the fact that they never did actually _catch_ the Pirate King. No. The Pirate King came to _them_.”

What? Came to them? What was she talking about? Gramps was notorious for _catching_ the Pirate King, wasn't he? Had he lied? Or... had _the Marines_ lied?

“You gotta admit, making a huge spectacle as you die is a good distraction tactic. It probably would have worked if the World Government wasn't full of worthless excuses for human beings.”

… he hadn't... thought of it... that way. Was that... _really_... what he'd been doing? Had he...?

“I wonder... how much did it hurt, knowing he'd never get to hold his child?”

He hadn't...

“It's a wonder he could even smile.”

He didn't...

Ace wasn't sure what to think anymore.

The raven-haired 7-year-old didn't pay much attention to what was going on on the cliff, stuck in his own head. But even with most of his attention elsewhere, he was able to register the lyrics to the song the women were singing. It hit too close to home too.

Just who were these people that could reach his heart without even trying, when he hadn't even been able to reach out to Sabo?

“Don't stay out too late, you know I worry.”

“Sure thing, nee-chan.”

“You need to take care of yourself, you know we'd be lost without 'cha!”

Ace could tell that Sabo was worried about him. He had never shut down like this that the blond knew of. This wasn't how he wanted Sabo to know but...

He needed to know.

Ace grabbed his pipe and stepped through the bushes, the sound causing the singing lady to turn around. She was pretty. But Ace didn't concentrate on that.

“What would you say if the Pirate King had a son?”

The lady's eyebrows raised and scrunched up in apparent confusion and Sabo fell through the bush.

The lady smiled gently “I'd do my damnest to make sure he survives to raise hell in the future. Because you can be damn sure that some idiot will find out about him and it's better to let people know they exist on _their_ terms, _not_ the World Government's.” she huffed, before amending that statement “Well, given that they actually want to sail. Otherwise I'd just keep 'em secret, keep 'em safe. There are other ways to screw the Marines over, after all.”

Ace swallowed. That was different. He...

He wanted to believe she was telling the truth.

The lady took a step towards him and bent over slightly, resting her hands on her knees “What's your name? I'm Alexia.”

He probably shouldn't mention more than his first name, but...

“Portgas D. Ace.”

Well, too late now.

Alexia's mouth opened, but no sound came out. She looked surprised. She quickly got closer to him and knelt in front of him, bringing a hand up to his cheek, looking at his face with an intensity that made Ace want to run away.

He wasn't sure why he staid still.

Alexia smiled sadly, bringing her other hand up to card through his hair “Despite the colour, you _do_ look like her, Ace. Not a lot of people will make the connection, no one really knew about her outside the crew. I only know because I'm good at gathering information, but know this.” she suddenly became very serious as she put her hands on his shoulders “Whatever you may decide to do with your life, remember that it is _your_ life. You are your own person. You are neither of your parents and no matter what some bitter idiots who can't get over themselves or mindless sheeple who believe whatever information and propaganda the government spoon-feeds them, your father was _not_ a monster. Roger was a man. A simple, adventurous man with an incurable disease who fell in love too late in his life to be able to see you grow up. Both of your parents loved you very much, Ace. It's why they died for you.”

Ace didn't notice he was crying at first, but he did notice the damp spot he was creating on her shirt when Alexia embraced him.


	4. Meeting the family (well, two of them, at least)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actually, three, but Luffy isn't exactly aware of the fact yet.
> 
> Also, Sabo and Ace are thankfully young enough to have some childlike curiosity and trust left in them, the world hasn't stamped that out of them yet.
> 
> Additionally, Jim makes a terrible first impression.

Sabo wasn't sure what to think of this woman who had made Ace cry. Or well, caused Ace to cry. There _was_ a minor difference between the two. He analyzed her expression and was surprised to see no trickery or malice, only sadness and affection. Something he had never witnessed aimed at him. But he had seen it before. On the faces of other children's parents.

He pretended it didn't hurt that a stranger was showing Ace something he had never received from even his own parents.

Thinking on what she'd said, Sabo came to the conclusion that Ace was an orphan and, from the looks of it, the son of Gold Roger. No wonder he was so angry, if he'd heard what most people said about the man.

Maybe this would be good for him. This woman seemed to be well-informed, if not well-educated. At least she was more likely to draw her own conclusions and not rely on what the Marines, or the World Government, or Nobles let out of their mouths.

Were there more people like her, he wondered. People who disagreed with the status quo, but had no way to change it? People like...

People like him.

Honestly, he was aware that running away wasn't really doing much, but it was the only thing he could do in rebellion. He knew he was pretty insignificant in the big picture, but it was _something._

Like that name, Baterilla, that made Ace so shocked he'd nearly given them away. If Miss Alexia's conversation with the other woman was anything to go by, the WG had done something connected to that name that they had then tried to cover up. Perhaps they hadn't done that good of a job, or perhaps Miss Alexia was just _really good_ at digging up things that no one wanted to see the light of day.

He wondered if she could dig up something on his father if Sabo asked.

As if hearing his musings, the maternal woman turned his gaze to him and smiled kindly “Have you boys eaten yet? It's getting around that time.”

Neither Ace nor Sabo managed to answer that as their stomachs did it for them, letting out loud growls, causing both boys to become embarrassed.

Well, Ace was already embarrassed from his small meltdown.

Alexia huffed in amusement “Well, that answers that, come along, boys. If we're lucky, Marc is willing to cook, otherwise I'll have to ask Makino. No way in hell am I cooking after the mood I've been in all day.”

That being said, she stood up and started leading them by the hand, barely giving them time to grab their pipes as they went.

Neither of the boys had that much will to struggle. Sabo due to his rational side and Ace due to the fact that, he'd already cried on the woman, he didn't really have the energy to resist. What's the worst that could happen?

In theory, both boys knew Foosha Village existed. They'd just never been there. So it was still a new experience as they walked into the populated area even if they sorta knew what to expect.

“Lex! Catch!”

Of course, nothing could have prepared them for the shout, followed by a man with black hair tossing something at the woman holding their hands.

This, of course, forced her to let go of said hands and catch whatever had been thrown at her. This, it turned out, was a child younger than the two boys who were eying the kid with raised eyebrows, before turning said judging gaze at the man who'd tossed a kid at someone.

Alexia sputtered, looking shocked, before looking indignant and also turning her gaze to the man “Wha-! Jim! You can't _toss_ people-! What's _wrong_ with you?!”

The man, Jim, shrugged his shoulders “He's fine, ain't he?”

The dark-haired woman fumed at the nonchalant attitude before abruptly handing the kid to Ace, who fumbled for a moment but _didn't_ drop his new added weight as the woman tore after her fellow adult, screeching “ _Get back here!_ ” as she went, leaving the two, now three, boys alone in the street.

All three just blinked for a moment, before the youngest turned to face Ace with a beaming smile “I'm Luffy!”

Ace was taken aback by the sunny expression and wavered, not sure how to react to it. Thankfully, Sabo saved him by introducing himself “My name is Sabo, it's nice to meet you, Luffy.”

That was all it took for the other ravenette to grunt out “Ace.” before wondering why he was still holding the younger boy. Maybe he should put him down before he- “Was that your mom?”

Well, he already opened his mouth, might as well keep hold of the brat.

Luffy stuck his index finger in his mouth and shook his head “No. But that'd be nice.”

… Damnit, the kid sounded so sad about it too. Ace was debating trying to hold Luffy with only one arm to reach up and pat his head, when Sabo beat him to it, causing the kid to look at him with his way too adorable eyes.

Crisis averted, now, if only they could find an adult to dump the kid on.

“My, my, what did Jim do this time?”

The trio turned towards the voice and came face-to-face with a tall blond woman with really curly hair and really short shorts, shading her eyes from the sun as she peered in the direction Alexia and Jim had ran off to.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, they didn't know, Luffy was the one to answer “Jim-nii threw me at Leshia! I went woosh!”

The woman nodded, as if she'd been expecting it “Well, they'll be gone for a while until Lexie shows our dear idiot just who's in charge. C'mon, let's go find Marc. Depending on his mood he might even feed us.”

Sabo and Ace wondered just who this Marc was while Luffy cheered “Makku-nii!” as they followed the blond woman.

Ace still wasn't sure why he didn't just put Luffy down. He swore it had nothing to do with the feel of someone trusting him explicitly leaning into his touch and winding their arms around his neck. Nope, definitely not.

And he definitely didn't feel all warm and fuzzy when Luffy buried his face in his neck and sighed contently, Sabo, so stop smirking.

Sabo did _not_ stop his smirking as they followed the unknown woman towards a ship, relying only on the reactions of a boy younger than them and the newfound trust they had placed in the woman singing in the woods.


	5. My cave, my rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus' weak spot is kids. Everyone on the crew knows that. Ace and Sabo are about to learn this.  
> The crew can go hang, kids eat first.
> 
> Alternatively: The First Mate and the Captain aren't the only schemers on the crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter than the others, but I think it works out quite well.

Marcus was humming as he stirred the three industrial sized pots of beef stew. It should be enough to feed all of them and leave leftovers if Luffy didn't end up eating as much as he calculated, or the others didn't go for as many seconds. It varied, but he was pretty sure Luffy would eat everything the others didn't. He had just turned off the heat when he heard the doors open. The Ouroboros chef turned around to see just who had decided to disturb his peace and stopped, blinking at the people in front of him.

It seemed Lex had gone collecting, because there were two kids too many standing in front of him, and one of them was holding the only kid they were supposed to have at the moment. The brunette looked back at the three pots and then at the kids, before addressing Lisa with a deadpan tone that told her exactly what mood he was in “Yeah, you guys are _so_ not getting fed until later.”

The sniper's reaction was predictable “Oh, boo! Well, Ace, Sabo, Luffy, looks like I need to tell the rest of the crew, enjoy your privilege.”

She then spun around and left, acting more upset than she actually was. She knew his opinion on the matter. Adults can deal, kids eat first.

Also, his cave, his rules.

Yes, he calls the kitchen his cave, sue him.

The blond kid piped up, looking slightly worried “Um, is it really ok?”

Marcus sighed, rubbing his scarf-covered head “Adults can deal, kids eat first. The kitchen and everything that goes with it is under _my_ control and _I_ decide what happens with the food I cook. So yeah, kid, it's fine. Now sit down and I'll plate it up.”

The two older brats didn't look convinced, but Luffy had already squirmed himself out of the other raven's arms and was bouncing in his seat, prompting the other two to follow his example and seat themselves at the table, minus the exited bouncing. The 29-year-old huffed in amusement as he turned back to the stove and lift the first pot off, carrying it to the table before fetching three rather wide bowls, spoons and a ladle for the stew.

The bowls were partly so that they wouldn't have to refill quite as often and partly so that even if one of the two boys decided to try and trick him into thinking they were fine without seconds, they would still have eaten a big portion. This was also why _he_ filled the bowls and didn't let the boys do it. Luffy would have spilled the contents of the ladle and the boys may not have filled the bowls to the brim like he did. There was also the added benefit that with the bowls so full, neither of the new kids could try to pour some of it back into the pot, not without spilling some of it and he _knew_ they wouldn't risk that in unknown territory.

Luffy was the first to dig in after beaming up at him with a bright “Thanks, Makku-nii!” before the only sounds from his direction were slurps, splashes and chewing.

Maybe he should have put a bib on the kid. Oh well, someone would bathe him, probably Al or their esteemed Captain.

Ace and Sabo were looking at their own portions with wide-eyes, Ace being used to the meager bowl of rice that was the only thing the bandits would feed him and Sabo knowing only what a Noble's portion looked like. Ergo, only a half-bowl of soup and in a much much smaller container. Both boys looked up when Luffy handed his bowl to the cook and asked for seconds, shocked when the man smiled indulgently and served the boy more stew. Then, and only then, did the duo start eating their own portions. Once done with the food in front of him, Ace looked at the bottom of his bowl, before glancing at Luffy who was asking for seconds again. With the bandits, asking for _any_ food, _period_ , was a mistake you didn't make twice, but... casting a look over his shoulder, Ace caught sight of two other pots the size of the one on the table through the gap between the upper wall and the bar counter, before looking back to his bowl.

Maybe... it wouldn't hurt to ask...

Gathering up his courage, he lifted the bowl barely off the wood and moved it closer to the man in the white coat “Seconds, please?”

He'd barely finished the question when the ladle appeared in his field of vision to dump more food in the brown dish and Ace looked up at the man, shocked that it had actually worked, before minutely flinching when the brunette ruffled his hair with a smile.

“There you go.”

Ace brought the bowl back to where it had been before he moved it, reeling, before he started stuffing his face again. He was starting to like these people, and he'd only really talked to one of them.

He wondered if this was what a _real_ family was supposed to be like.

He didn't see Sabo gaping at him, stupefied. And if he did, he pretended he didn't. If he pretended it didn't exist, it would go away.

He also didn't smirk smugly when for once, Sabo followed _his_ example, and quietly asked for seconds.

It was good to be one step ahead, for once.


	6. Why's the rum gone (crazy means normal in this crew)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabo and Ace get some more experience in the craziness named Ouroboros. They don't dislike it.

They made quick work of all three pots of stew and neither of the two 7-year-olds had ever felt quite so full. Marc smiled at them as he hefted the last pot off the table and brought it over to the sink, before turning back towards them.

“Tell Jim to get his behind over here, he's on wash duty today.”

Sabo wanted to protest and offer to help, but the pots were taller than the three of them, so there was no way they could possibly get them clean. Instead he nodded and headed towards the door, Ace following and Luffy skipping along with them.

“Thanks for the food, Makku-nii!”

The two 7-year olds chimed something along those lines too as the brunette huffed “Bah, you're welcome, now get.”

It didn't take long for them to get on deck, mostly because the elder two were following the younger, who didn't get lost once, which they'd find odd as they learned to know the boy. The scene they walked into gave Ace and Sabo pause even as Luffy skipped over to the brunette who'd led them to the town and went chasing after the black-haired man currently face-down on deck with her foot planted squarely on his upper back in victory.

“Makku-nii said Jim-nii had to wash!” the bouncy ball that was Luffy exclaimed.

Jim groaned from his spot while the woman eyed Luffy with doubt, before muttering “He's not the only one.” and stepping off the man, kicking his side before picking up Luffy “Alright, bath time for you.”

The 4-year-old whined at that and tried to squirm out of her grip. He didn't succeed.

“Now now, Luffy, you can play with Mister Ducky if you take a bath.”

Ace and Sabo both eyed the duo speculatively when Luffy stopped squirming and instead started vibrating in excitement. Ace didn't understand what this 'Mister Ducky' had to do with anything and Sabo could only think of the pompous ducks made out of silver, gold and jewels that defeated the purpose of being bath-toys since they _sunk_ instead of staying buoyant.

Suffice to say, neither of them had any actual experience with bath-toys.

The brunette caught their disbelieving gazes and asked “Do you boys want a bath too?” in good humor.

Both 7-year-olds firmly shook their heads. No way did they need a _bath_. They weren't that smelly yet. They could still hunt just fine without alerting any animals of their presence.

The woman just shook her head as she hefted Luffy up into a more secure hold “Alright pikkunen, let's wash you.”

Luffy just dangled limply, no longer even attempting escape as they went “Splash splash.” he chirped, sounding _way_ too happy in Ace's opinion.

Sabo, meanwhile was trying to discern just what the woman had called the other boy and was having no luck. Suddenly, a voice from the side brought him out of his musings.

“It means 'little one', basically.”

The blond turned to face the other brunette woman, blinking before asking “Was it that obvious?”

He didn't like the thought of being that easy to read.

The lady snorted “I've seen that look on my sister's face, little scholar, you ain't foolin' anyone.” she paused, casting her gaze towards the reckless man who was getting up from his place on the deck “Well, except Jim, maybe.”

The ravenette looked over with an appalled expression “I had a seven average, thank you _very much_!”

The brunette snorted and said “That's not good enough!” and then clapped right afterwards.

The man's face twitched with something Sabo wasn't sure he could pinpoint, but would say annoyance if asked “Don't start...”

The blond woman who'd showed them to Marcus' 'cave' was pursing her lips and shaking, while another blond, a really, _really_ big guy, smirked and said “I love weddings.”

“Drinks all around!” someone called from out of sight, causing the blond woman to finally lose it and start laughing while the ravenette just slumped and made his way towards the kitchen.

The two boys were confused to say the least.

The older lady smiled at them in amusement “Welcome to the Bate Entertainment Company. We speak frequently in quotes.”

That made sense. As much as anything did at the moment. The two boys wondered just what the hell they had stumbled into. Personally, Sabo blamed Ace.

Well, too late to do anything about it now.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, two out of three people used to handling pointy things were having a conversation.

“So,” Marcus asked from his place by the stove where he was once again starting to cook “what's the sitch?”

Jim hummed as he scrubbed the second industrial pot, the first one already upside down and drying by the side, since it didn't fit in the over-head drying rack they'd had to build themselves, because apparently it was such a Finnish thing that the concept was foreign to people elsewhere “I've said it once and I'll say it again,” he rinsed out the pot before putting it aside and starting on the last one “Lex should consider calling herself Luthor. Only, she's worse because her schemes _work._ ”

The brunette smirked around the coctail stick in his mouth “Situation normal, then?”

The swordsman huffed out a laugh, shaking his head “Yeah, hope you're prepared to seriously cook, man, 'cause we got two D's plus one now.”

The cook quirked an eyebrow even though he knew the other couldn't see it, what with them being ninety degrees apart and focusing on the things in front of them “Well, you'd better do some hunting then.”

There was a chuckle and the sound of splashing water before they both were silent.

Things were about to become interesting in their home.


	7. This battlefield’s been chosen, tactically in advance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on and then Garp shows up. Ace is literally in the worst place possible to avoid the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Bate Entertainment Company has a logo now, that took way too long to establish, tbh.

Laughter rang through the forest as three children rushed through the foliage, followed by an adult figure. Sabo and Ace weren't sure how it had happened, but in the past three months they had practically started living with the theater group.

It started slowly, with the duo coming to visit after hunting. At first it was just them trying to repay Marcus for cooking for them, but it somehow turned into Marcus cooking their kill for them every time they brought something big back.

Then Luffy started coming along when they went back into the forest. After the first few times he almost got swallowed by a crocodile, the two boys started teaching him how to fight. He wasn't strong enough to K.O. Anything yet, but he was an excellent distraction while hunting. Jim often accompanied them from a distance where he could intervene if possible, but rarely did. Ace especially didn't really know what to make of the warm feeling in his chest at the man's actions, especially after Sabo proposed a theory on why the man was doing it. He trusted in their strength, but would provide backup if something went wrong.

Then they stayed over the first time it got too dark for the adults to let them go into the woods alone. Then they stayed over again after keeping an eye on Luffy the whole day and being too tired to go back. Soon, they stopped leaving before nightfall at all. Ace still showed himself at the bandit hideout in the mornings, just so Dadan wouldn't have a heart attack and call Garp. Not that that really lasted. After all, Ace had no idea Garp had _another_ reason to visit the island. And he really was long overdue for a visit. And really... Ace was in the worst place for avoiding the old geezer.

Garp couldn't recognize the ship docked at the harbor. The only reason he wasn't more apprehensive was due to the flag at the top of the mast which was very much not a Jolly Roger. Or, at least he didn't think it was. He was pretty sure no Pirate would have a red flag with the pink outline of a hibiscus flower in the middle of it as a symbol. Though he did wonder what the “B.E.” underneath it stood for. He could hear the sound of a flute being played as they approached, but it cut off soon after. Someone had probably been practicing for a while before his ship was within ear-shot, then.

Ed raised her head at the signal. They had a set of signals for different situations, and this particular one was meant for Marine sightings. The Battle of Midway had been a naval battle in World War 2... thus, using [Sabaton's “Midway”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuW_MGNd8jM) as a Marine sighting warning, well, there was nothing better, in her opinion. It had taken some explaining to the others, though, since that wasn't something any of them had really gone over in history at school.

Honestly, most of her history knowledge came from Sabaton songs anyway.

And due to the... incident... Lugia's theme was no longer a viable option.

But back on track, it would seem Garp had come to check on his grandsons. She hoped the man didn't get too big of a heart attack at seeing Ace and Luffy in the same place. And if the old man tried to separate them, well... the man had a nice ship, it would be a shame if something... happened to it...

Besides, Al had claimed the kids and that meant she would go berserk if the man tried to touch them. Honestly, rather than fearing the man, Ed was more inclined to fear _for_ the man. Speaking of which, they should be getting back any time now.

Garp raised a hand in acknowledgment for the blond on the other ship's deck as she waved at them as they docked, now very certain that they weren't pirates. Unless they were phenomenally stupid, pirates didn't tend to wave good-naturedly at marines. Especially not when one of those marines was him. Unless they were stupid. Or suicidal. But he doubted that was the case here. The Marine Hero disembarked his vessel, already planning what sort of training he should assign Luffy on his visit, when he froze in his tracks at the voice that was very out of place in the village.

“-then maybe we should give the bandits a bunch of bananas. The old hag always seems to be on the verge of a heart-attack.”

Garp paled as he started power-walking in the direction of his older grandson's voice. What was Ace doing in Foosha?! And who was he talking to-

The sound of laughter cut off his panicked thinking “I don't know, Ace. Are you sure bananas would be enough to lower her blood pressure? Usually stress is caused by something external, so I don't think eating some potassium will help. Didn't you say your grandfather was the cause?”

There was no real verbal reply, so the boy must have shrugged. This left Garp with more questions, though. Like who the hell was this woman who was able to get Ace to warm up to her enough to _banter_???

Garp finally rounded a corner and stopped at the edge of the market. A stall not far from him was a fruit stand, which was selling the yellow fruit they were talking about, explaining some of what was going on.

Some of it.

Not nearly enough, though.

And then Garp noticed the other worrying thing about the situation. He didn't know who the blond brat was, but _Luffy_ was _holding Ace's hand_ , the other fisted in the skirt of an _unknown young woman_.

Garp wanted to very much know what the hell was going on, please and thank you.

“You brats! It's time for training! You too, blondie!”

All three brats jumped a foot in the air and turned with varying degrees of horror on their faces.

“It's shitty gramps/gramps!” Ace and Luffy yelled at the same time, before turning to face each other “You know him?!”

The woman had jerked and gripped her chest, before seeming to get over it and shuffling the brats behind her, glaring at him distrustfully.

Garp just laughed. He liked the girl, she seemed headstrong and feisty. Maybe that's how she'd gained Ace's approval. No matter, the brats must be trained!

**Author's Note:**

> Character Profiles:  
> Edwina 27, brunette, light brown eyes, 165 cm.  
> Freerunning, parkour, gymnast, krav maga.  
> Captain
> 
> Alex 22, brunette, hazel eyes, 150 cm, slim.  
> Kickboxing, parkour, gymnast and aikido.  
> First Mate.
> 
> Lisa 26 Blond, blue eyes, 175 cm.  
> Amateur gymnast, swimmer.  
> Sniper.
> 
> Jim 30 ravenette, blue eyes, 170 cm, muscled.  
> Karate (black belt), freerunning, kendo and judo.  
> Swordsman.
> 
> Jonas 35, blond, green eyes, 200 cm, wide & muscled.  
> Streetfighter, rock-climber.  
> Inventor.
> 
> Leo 31, ginger, dark brown eyes, 172 cm, slim swimmer's build.  
> Judo, swimmer, runner.  
> Doctor.
> 
> Marcus 29, light brown hair, hazel eyes, 171 cm, runner's build.  
> Best swimmer and diver among the crew, parkour, runner.  
> Cook.
> 
> Fanart by Secretuncle on tumblr:  
> Ed: [here ](https://78.media.tumblr.com/9633d21dc72c729c586bc5f72bed5944/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo1_1280.jpg)  
> Al: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/2639a5b9148703056a476112f605b45e/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo2_1280.jpg)  
> Lisa: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/44b002ea765f79c45db8623b1b85ef88/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo3_1280.jpg)  
> Jim: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/0957b88bd79189ec66541f3914d0ce57/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo4_1280.jpg)  
> Jonas: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/7f60e58a25844d47b0ee6b00e222185d/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo5_1280.jpg)  
> Leo: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/b49bf69ab002bf38dc5af706e6f2fc57/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo6_1280.jpg)  
> Marc: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/15bcb0edd755b28f920c251fd1abd710/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo7_1280.jpg)


End file.
